Lethal insomnia. Dead now. Waiting to be resurrected by the aqua vitae (aka coffee) I slammed. Otherwise, consider me added to the ranks of the walking dead.
The 2009 Nebula nomination period opened yesterday and runs through Feb. 15, 2010. This is the first year of the revamped Nebula nomination rules, a process that really, really needed an overhaul. It promises to be much more transparent and commonsensical than the previous system.
I invite folks to peruse the Carl Brandon society list of 2009 short stories by writers of color and the Nebula suggested reading offerings at the SFWA.org site for some fabulous fiction to consider nominating.
And, of course, my own shameless plug:
My novelette “Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman Beast” was published by Interzone and reprinted in Apex Magazine in 2009, making it eligible for Nebula consideration.
Folks can read it for free from Apex‘s site or listen to a free podcast of it, read fabulously by Lawrence Santoro, at Escape Pod.
Just got back from another vet appointment. The follow-up urinalysis from last week’s visit showed there was still blood so we brought Hobkin back for more tests. Today’s results: x-ray was clean (no kidney stones, whew), waiting on the urine culture results. And we’re $340 poorer. Sigh.
But I’m glad we could confirm that Hobkin doesn’t have stones. And he was really well behaved. Although obviously anxious. Poor lil guy.
Just committed guest bloggery at Jeff VanderMeer’s Ecstatic Days: “Niches, Typecasting, and Stereotypes”. Go read, yo.
Been sitting on this news until it was announced: Bards & Sages named me their Author of the Year for 2009! Squee!
Hrm. Just learned that they’re re-imaging our computers at work tomorrow. Making backups now…
The website I’ve been working on went live this week: LouiseMarley.com. Check out the shiny! Louise is a talented writer and musician, and it was a pleasure working with her.
One hamster down, but several scampered in to replace it. Jeff VanderMeer invited me to be a guest blogger while he’s doing his whirlwind book tour, Jeremy Tolbert asked if I’d like to narrate a story for Escape Pod, and I’ve had a couple folks approach me about contributing some nonfiction pieces.
My hamsters, once again (eternally), overfloweth.
Got a note from the editor of Bards and Sages Quarterly with two pieces of very sweet news. The first I’m holding off on sharing until they announce it, but the second is that they want to reprint “Gifts Not Asked For” in their forthcoming anthology, Bardic Tales and Sage Advice: Vol II. Sweet!
Stupid Novel progress: halfway through editing pass of part 3 and 360 new words. And lo, there was less sucking. Less, that is, but there is, verily, still sucking. Take what I can get.
I never do NaNoWriMo, but I was thinking of dedicating November to the “finish The Stupid Novel” effort as sort of a kindred endeavor.
It’s all about the goals…
Received from the editors, Eric Choi and Derwin Mak, the table of contents for the forthcoming The Dragon and the Stars anthology, due out from DAW Books next year—the first anthology of fantasy and science fiction stories by ethnic Chinese outside China:
• Introduction by Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling novelist.
• “The Character of the Hound” by Tony Pi (Canada)
During the war between the Southern Song and the Jin Dynasties, a soldier allows a spirit to possess his body so he can solve a murder.
• “The Fortunes of Mrs. Yu” by Charles Tan (Philippines)
A Filipino Chinese woman is horrified that each of her fortune cookies has a blank strip of paper inside it.
• “Goin Down to Anglotown” by William F. Wu (U.S.A.)
In an alternate America that is dominated by Asians, three young Asian men go out for a night of intrigue in exotic “Anglotown.”
• “The Polar Bear Carries the Mail” by Derwin Mak (Canada)
Chinese investors and a Chinese Canadian pilot try to start a space tourism business in northern Canada. Unfortunately, they have bad feng shui at their spaceport.
• “Lips of Ash” by Emery Huang (U.S.A.)
During the time of a historical dynasty, a cosmetics artist uses dark magic to help the ambitious mistress of a nobleman.
• “The Man on the Moon” by Crystal Gail Shangkuan Koo (Hong Kong)
Yue Lao, the Man on the Moon, hosts a beauty pageant to find a bride.
• “Across the Sea” by Emily Mah (U.S.A.)
A Tlingowa Native American woman’s aunt tells a legend about mysterious visitors who came to America hundreds of years ago.
• “Mortal Clay, Stone Heart” by Eugie Foster (U.S.A.)
During the reign of the First Emperor, a clay sculptor finds love and tragedy with a soldier.
• “Dancers with Red Shoes” by Melissa Yuan-Innes (Canada)
In Montréal, magical red shoes dance by themselves.
• “Intelligent Truth” by Shelly Li (U.S.A.)
A young Chinese American woman discovers truths about herself and her mother’s intelligent robotic servant.
• “Bargains” by Gabriela Lee (Singapore)
A young woman meets a strange shopkeeper in Chinatown. The shopkeeper sells success as a writer – but with a terrible price.
• “Threes” by E.L. Chen (Canada)
A Canadian man thinks his dead wife has become a Chinese dragon in Lake Ontario.
• “The Son of Heaven” by Eric Choi (Canada)
The Chinese rocket scientist Tsien Hsue-shen is persecuted during the Red Scare in America in the 1950s.
• “Shadow City” by Susan Ee (U.S.A.)
In a fantasy universe, a gatekeeper must stop people from leaving an evil place called Shadow City.
• “The Water Weapon” by Brenda W. Clough (U.S.A.)
The British police are suspicious of a talking Chinese dragon and a Chinese princess who appear at the Great Exposition of 1851 in London.
• “The Right to Eat Decent Food” by Urania Fung (U.S.A.)
Two American English teachers in China will do anything to get decent food during the SARS epidemic.
• “Papa and Mama” by Wen Y Phua (Singapore)
A Chinese daughter struggles to remain dutiful to her late parents, who are inconveniently reincarnated as a fish and a bird.
• “Beidou” by Ken Liu (U.S.A.)
In the Ming war against Japan, an ingenious Chinese army officer invents new weapons to defeat the Japanese.
• Afterword by Derwin Mak and Eric Choi.
It promises to be an awesome anthology!
